'Unprecedented' amount of cash for Leicester buses promised

Tom Mack
·2-min read
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh wants to 'give every community the power to take back control of their bus services'
-Credit: (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)


Leicester City Council is to receive more money than ever before in a bid to improve bus services in the area. The Government today (Sunday, November 17), released brief details about an extra £712 million for bus services around the country, as well as another £243 million to go directly to various bus operators.

The Department for Transport described it as "fair funding to ensure better services up and down the country" with Leicester among several places to be singled out. The cash is on top of regional funding settlements announced in the recent budget.

The Government statement did not spell out exactly how much Leicester would get. The statement said "Areas receiving an unprecedented amount of funding for bus services include Leicester, the Isle of Wight, Torbay, and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough."

READ MORE: Diversion warning issued as major Leicestershire road set to close

The statement said the Government was "turning the tide on decades of failed deregulation" and that every region in England would benefit from extra funding - "particularly those areas which have been historically underserved".

It added: "The investment has been designated to enhance popular routes, protect rural services and increase bus use for shopping, socialising and commuting. It will prevent service reductions on at-risk routes and improve punctuality across England, to bring an end to the current postcode lottery of unreliable services."

The statement, published on the Government website early this morning, also included a comment from Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, who said: "Buses are the lifeblood of communities, but the system is broken. Too often, passengers are left waiting hours for buses that don’t turn up – and some have been cut off altogether.

"That’s why we’re reforming funding to deliver better buses across the country and end the postcode lottery of bus services. And it’s why we’re providing over £1 billion of funding to keep fares down, protect local routes and deliver more reliable services.

“This is part of our wider plan to put passengers first and give every community the power to take back control of their bus services through franchising or public ownership. By delivering better buses, we’ll ensure people have proper access to jobs and opportunities – powering economic growth in every corner of the country.”

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